Conflicted

Hello, blog friends! I’ve not forsaken you entirely—’twas but a short, unplanned hiatus.

There has been a great deal of progress on the house over the last couple of weeks. Sheetrock is up & taped/mudded, deck is constructed, front porch beams are in place. Tile, carpet, hardwoods, and reclaimed timber mantelpiece have been selected. Appliances are a keystroke away from being ordered. Paint chips are invading my brain. You know, all that fun stuff. I’m hoping to get pictures uploaded in the next day or two, so stay tuned!

On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, I learned last night that my 14-year-old cousin was raped. There’s a man out there in his mid twenties with a warrant for his arrest; if it was up to me, he’d be castrated and left to rot in prison. But that’s just me. This wasn’t a case where a random stranger abducted her from a parking lot, though there’s a part of me that thinks that would somehow be “better” (as if there is ever a “better” in this kind of situation). Sadly, this was a case that could have been avoided completely given a couple of different decisions.

I have so many things that I want to say, so much working through my mind that I can’t quite grasp. As soon as I collect my thoughts, I will post them here.